Not another Barack Obama/New Media blog post

Posted by matthew on Nov 13, 2008 in Politics | 0 comments

Nope. This one is BETTER! At least, I thought so.

A 20-year old Dartmouth College junior named Vanessa Sievers ran for, and won, the treasurer’s seat in Grafton County, NH. The current county treasurer, 68-year old Carol Elliott, called her a “teenybopper,” and said the only reason she won was because of “brainwashed college kids.”

Ms. Sievers, not unexpectedly, had a slightly different take and attributed her success to other factors. According to the New York Times, her biggest investment was a $51 ad she placed on Facebook which she paid for with her own money. But here’s the killer quote from this rising political titan of New Hampshire politics: “I took advantage of new media and she [Ms. Elliott] did not.” The county Republican chairman, Ludlow Flower, was overheard muttering that neither college kids nor new media belonged in a county race.

Funny. That attitude seems to pervade the entire GOP.

Barack Obama and New Media

Posted by matthew on Nov 6, 2008 in Politics | 0 comments

I am big fan of the blog Podcasting News. In the wake of the election, they posted their analysis of how Obama crushed McCain in terms of his masterful use of technology, new media and online communications tools.

The main takeaway is that Obama was always in control of his message where the McCain campaign, for lots of reasons, was often reacting to events and sometimes getting burned by new media.

The analysis does seem to leave out the benefit he derived from online media most central to his victory which was his fund raising prowess, much of which came from online donations and those solicited through e-mail, his website or the Obama iPhone app.

Nevertheless, it is a great recap of how to use online media to win friends and influence people. The stakes could not have been higher and the outcome was by no means assured. If the President-elect is committed to a new media strategy, there might be a lesson for every business or organization looking for a way to start a conversation.

Read the recap here.

Obama, McCain and online video

Posted by matthew on Nov 4, 2008 in Politics | 0 comments

Whoever wins today’s US Presidential election, and recent history suggests there might be some dispute over the outcome, the UNDISPUTED winners were online video users.

A Cisco study found that online video viewers,who as we have pointed out in past posts include nearly 75% of all US internet users, were much more engaged in this year’s election than in 2004. Obviously, there is much more online video available than in 2004, so the results should be viewed as a harbinger for 2012 rather than a look back at 2004.

Some topline results:

• 62% of online video users followed the election closely, compared to 37% of non-users
• 84% gave “quite a lot of thought” to this year’s election, with 68% saying they were more interested in politics than in 2004
• 75% felt that using online video helped them follow the election more closely

The ability to research and verify the candidates’ claims and counterclaims, the ability to time shift and examine their positions at one’s leisure, watch speeches and generally devote more time than cable or broadcast TV coverage permit are all contributing factors to this sea change. Undoubtedly, the Democratic ticket took much greater advantage of the internet in its imaginative use of online media and the web in general. But the study revealed no significant differences in either gender or income in terms of online video usage, so the playing field is open and level.

2012 and beyond will see vast increases in online media uses on the part of both parties, making 2008 look like 1908.

I’ve got a great idea: how about Twitter debates?

UPDATE: Apparently, we have an undisputed winner. No fighting about outcomes this time around.

The Internet and the presidential election

Posted by matthew on Jul 22, 2008 in Politics | 0 comments

A recent study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project assigned some concrete numbers to what most of us expected: 46% of Americans have used the internet, e-mail or text messaging to get news about the campaign, share their views and mobilize others.

The internet certainly makes it easier for people to get involved, check voting records, verify candidates’ claims, organize themselves and, perhaps most importantly, influence others. People use the web to forward comments and videos, donate money, feel more personally invested in the campaign and organize on a grassroots level.

The internet being the internet, however, also means that mis- and disinformation is magnified along with every gaffe and misstatement. What struck me was that the level of engagement almost doubled from 2004 during the primary season (8% of adults in Spring 2004 compared to 17% of adults in Spring 2008) , traditionally a time when only the most hardcore voters seem to be paying attention.

A few highlights:

• 40% of all Americans (internet users and non-internet users) have gotten news and information about this year’s campaign via the internet
• 35% of Americans say they have watched online political videos, nearly triple the figure of 2004
• 10% say they have used social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace to gather information or become involved
• 6% of Americans have made political contributions online

And many users are digging deeper to circumvent the mainstream media and their soundbite driven business model to more fully form their own opinions about Messrs. McCain and Obama.

Greater involvement is great for the republic. So we’ll leave the predictions about Election Day chaos for another day.

Gain control by giving up control

Posted by matthew on Dec 14, 2007 in Politics | 0 comments

I really enjoy Matt Bai’s coverage of the campaigns for the New York Times. In the Magazine section from December 9, 2007 he makes a compelling argument for why candidates no longer control their candidacies.

The essential lesson of Dean’s 2004 campaign and the online movement it is credited, rightly or wrongly, with inspiring was that these things cannot be orchestrated. "…the greatest momentum goes not to the candidate with the most detailed plan for conquering the Web but to the candidate who surrenders his own image to the clicking masses, the same way a rock guitarist might fall backwards off the stage into the hands of an adoring crowd."

The smartest companies have reached the same conclusion: since it is no longer possible to dictate the rules of the game as it pertains to marketing, product development and branding, you may as well as give up some of that control to your audience or consumers and, in so doing, foster greater loyalty.

Gain more by giving more. Hmmm….interesting concept.

Double the Vote

Posted by matthew on Oct 17, 2007 in Politics | 0 comments

Voter turnout in the US has always been a vexing problem, even more so on the local level.

Our good friends at Double the Vote are trying to do something about that, and we wanted to help. All the issues videos on their site were produced by Clearcast Digital Media.

Tip O’Neill famously observed that all politics are local. Here’s one for you, Mr. O’Neill.